Ethanol distillation with distillers soluble solids recovery apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for producing ethanol from an organic source and that operates to purify and dry ethanol from a beer source. The system for producing substantially anhydrous ethanol comprises: (a) a first distillation stripping column that operates between 160 to 220 degrees F.; (b) a second distillation rectifying column having a higher operating temperature than said stripping column; (c) a molecular sieve dehydration means in fluid communication with said rectifying column; and (d) an energy control means.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] Ethanol production presents four challenges that must be met in order to economically produce ethanol useful as a fuel additive. First, there must be an effective system so that primary stripping of ethanol / water from stillage (beer) can be accomplished and energy effective rectification of the ethanol / water mixture can be made. Second, an effective system for dehydrating the rectified ethanol / water product must be developed that integrates with the product distillation system and also is integrated in the energy management of that system. Third, an energy efficient system of de-watering the stillage to the maximum level must also be integrated into the overall system. Forth, the propensity for the stillage to foul surfaces in distillation and evaporation must be controlled to limit the time and expense of cleaning the system. Additionally, there is a need to limit energy usage in the dryer and thermal oxidizer which, are part of the system to recover dried distill...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0025] A reduction of overall energy usage is further proposed through a means to achieve a higher concentration of distillers soluble solids in the evaporator which reduces the drying load of the process dryer for distillers grain solids (DGS) product. This additional water removed in the evaporator is largely from waste heat sources.

[0028] Significantly reduced fan and pump power requirements resulting in lower operating costs.

[0029] Smaller footprint and reduced piping requirement providing for lowered installation costs.

[0030] Less prone to fouling resulting in reduced water treatment cost.

[0033] The all metal (stainless steel and galvanized parts) construction allows installation within close proximity of the ethanol production reducing piping runs compared to that needed for cooling towers.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, environmental concerns have required use of additives which aid in oxygenation of the motor fuels.

These additives have created concerns of their own for environmental damage.

Higher concentrations of ethanol, however, as required in gasohol are obtained only by expenditures of great amounts of energy and great difficulty due to the formation of an ethanol-water azeotrope at about the 95% ethanol concentration.

To this date however, little has been done to further improve heat recoveries for the adsorptive dehydration operation.

Another problem presented in the production of ethanol is the removal of solids from the production stream.

The dewatering machinery which are generally most effective at producing high dry solids content, such as screen centrifuges and screw presses, have not proven feasible with corn stillage.

Indeed, corn stillage and stillage from other grain fermentation has proven to be too fine and sticky for most separation devices.

The typical industry practice has been to dewater such stillage using a solid bowl decanter centrifuge which is very functional, but which typically only produce cake solids content in the 30-35% range, in addition to having high electricity usage and high maintenance costs.

However, the presence of the alcohol at the separation step greatly complicates the drying process, requiring special closed-cycle dryers which are costly to purchase and expensive to maintain, as well as necessitating an alcohol vapor recovery system.

In fermentation from grains such as corn, however, this dewatering from the wort stage has the disadvantage of reducing the final alcohol yield.

This method has the disadvantage that when applied to conventional stillages of 5-12% solids, the required recycle rate becomes very large, increasing the size and expense of the dryer.

Simple (non-azeotropic) distillation is limited with regard to ethanol-enrichment because the alcohol-water mixture forms a constant boiling azeotrope at 95.6 percent ethanol.

One complication at this upper end is an inflection in the vapor-liquid equilibrium relationship, which upon closer approach to the azeotropic composition requires a considerable increase in the number of distillation trays required and the height of the column.

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